Superfoods for Smokers:10 Foods with the Most Vitamin B6

The Health Benefits of Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps your body metabolize proteins and red blood cells, while it also helps boost your immune system, maintain blood sugar levels and keep skin looking youthful. Turns out it also might help in a surprising way: Fighting cancer. A new study links Vitamin B6 to reduced risk of lung cancer, even in current and former smokers.

1. Cereal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Vitamin B6 is just one of the many reasons. Fortified cereals typically have high amounts of Vitamin B6, and cereals made from ingredients naturally high in Vitamin B6 (like rice and buckwheat) can have naturally high levels, too. Check out your favorite brand for nutritional information.

3. Yellowfin Tuna

Sushi, anyone? Adding yellowfin tuna to your diet not only helps you reap the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but also gives you a good source of Vitamin B6. Three ounces of fish has 0.88 mg of the nutrient, about two-thirds of the daily supply.

According to Environmental Defense Funds Seafood Selector, consumers concerned about the health of the oceans should only eat U.S. Atlantic yellowfin tuna or fish caught with pole-and-line gear.

4. Beef

Before you turn away from the red meat section in your local market, remember beef is a good source of nutrients. A 3 oz. cut of beef has 0.87 mg of Vitamin B6, about two-thirds of the daily recommended amount. Look for locally raised grass-fed beef, so you can limit the environmental impact associated with raising livestock.

5. Turkey

This traditional holiday bird is high is Vitamin B6 -- a cup of turkey meat has 0.84 mg of the nutrient, nearly two-thirds of a day's suppply. Don't forget to support local farms by purchasing heritage turkeys, and look for organic free-range birds when possible.

7. Potatoes

Make breakfast even tastier with homemade hashed brown potatoes. One cup has 0.73 mg of Vitamin B6, more than half a day's supply. This superfood, America's favorite vegetable, is also a great source of potassium.

9. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat is an important ingredient to a gluten-free lifestyle and is also a good source of dietary fiber and, of course, Vitamin B6. One cup of buckwheat flour has 0.70 mg of the nutrient, more than half a day's supply.

10. Halibut

Another fish that is a good source of Vitamin B6 is halibut. This large flatfish has 0.63 mg per half fillet, nearly half a day's supply.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, the most safe (contaminant-free) and sustainable (from healthy wild stocks) halibut come from the Pacific, so ask where that halibut's from before making a purchase at the fish counter.

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